1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to propeller driven aerial toys, and more particularly to a toy having a pair of axially-opposed counter-rotating propellers powered by a rubber band motor.
2. Prior Art
Propeller driven aerial toys which are powered by rubber band motors are well known in the prior art, including the type comprising counter-rotating propellers. However, the majority of the prior art toys are generally awkward in their operation; in that, one or more of the propellers must be held by hand to prevent their rotation while the other hand turns the one remaining propeller in order to wind the rubber band motor. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,479,464 to Meyer et al., an aerial toy is disclosed having a tined collar slidably mounted on the lower end of its fuselage. The collar is slid downwardly along the body (fuselage) of the toy until its tines engage the blades of the lower propeller thus inhibiting its rotation. It is then possible to wind the motor by turning the upper propeller without holding the lower one by hand. Once the rubber band motor is wound, the upper propeller must be held by one hand while the lower propeller is grasped in the other hand so that the fingers of the same can push the collar forward thereby disengaging the lower propeller blades. The hands must then release their respective blades simultaneously in order for the toy to fly properly.
No prior art device employs a means for engaging both propellers at the same time and which incorporates a spring-loaded firing means that disengages or releases the propellers simultaneously, thereby requiring only one hand to launch the toy.